


King and Lionheart

by gothwoozi



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Death Eaters, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Gryffindor Soonyoung, Jealousy, M/M, Ravenclaw Jihoon, Triwizard Tournament, jihoon is cutthroat and loyal as fuck in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-22 16:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15586044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothwoozi/pseuds/gothwoozi
Summary: Lee Jihoon loves his childhood friend, Soonyoung, so much he'd be willing to pull the moon from the sky for him. When his dear friend is selected as Hogwarts' champion in the Triwizard Tournament, Jihoon vows to do ANYTHING to keep his friend safe from the dark and deadly effects -- from warding off unwelcome love potions to foiling Slytherin sabotage. Because, nobody will love Soonyoung as much as he does.ora Hogwarts AU in which Jihoon has an intense crush and Soonyoung is a Triwizard Champion.





	1. Gaze Into The Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I LOVE LAUREN PLEASE APPRECIATE HER AAAAA
> 
> ******I CHANGED THE TITLE OF THIS BC I CHOSE THE LAST ONE DRUNK AND DONT LIKE IT AS MUCH*****
> 
> 2) this is set about 20 years after the Battle of Hogwarts as an fyi
> 
> 3) if you don't understand something, please message me bc i get if some ppl not get EVERY harry potter reference. im just a really intense fan lmao
> 
> I'm really proud of the plotline I have planned so far for this, and I hope it's going to be exciting for you guys as well. Also, I'm going to be on vacation from August 11-17 and I MIGHT work on some chapters on the roadtrip there, but there's no guarantee anything will be posted within that time frame. Please enjoy!

As the blue flames flicker violently from the golden goblet, Jihoon silently wonders to himself how many wizards and witches have died at the hands of this fire. Some would risk their very lives—and for what? Eternal glory and 10,000 galleons? The Triwizard Tournament is an outdated and sadistic event created only to watch poor, naive teenagers suffer in the name of “unity between three schools.”

Stupidly, his best friend, Soonyoung, wants to be one of these teenagers. He can only watch as the other steps past the age line, as he turned 17 during the summer holiday. Jihoon’s guts twist as he watches his friend approach the Goblet of Fire with a slip of paper.

“This is a bad idea, Soonyoung,” Jihoon deadpans, feeling a slight tremor in his voice. “In fact…this is your stupidest idea yet.”

“Don’t worry, Hoonie,” the other smirks, not realizing the gravity of what he is about to do—what it would mean for his name to be spit from the Goblet of Fire. “I’ll still remember you when I’m famous.”

Jihoon wants to step into the glowing blue ring and yank the slip of paper from Soonyoung’s hands, but he can’t… He’s still 16, so he can’t pass the age line.

A slight crowd gathers to watch Soonyoung slip his name in. It’s to be expected since he’s captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Soonyoung’s popularity does nothing to help Jihoon talk his friend out of this decision.

“Do it already, Soonyoung!” someone calls out, encouraging Soonyoung to do the one thing Jihoon fears in this world: endanger his own life.

“You could die or be seriously injured, Soonyoung,” Jihoon tries to reason inches away from the age line, not daring to step any closer. Headmaster McGonagall’s magic was particularly powerful, especially when students' well-beings were at stake.

What he doesn’t say, even though he desperately wants to is “ _What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?_ ”

Ever since they met on the Hogwarts Express as first years, there was nobody Jihoon cares for more than Soonyoung.

“I’m an adult, and—” Soonyoung responds calmly. It makes Jihoon huff in disbelief, stopping Soonyoung dead in his tracks.

“Just because you’re an adult in the ministry’s eyes doesn’t mean _anything_ ,” he interrupts whatever Soonyoung was about to say next. “The Triwizard Tournament has a history of getting _dark_ , and I don’t want you to be caught in the middle of it.”

“What are you? My mom?” Soonyoung snaps back, and Jihoon thinks it’s the first time the other has raised his voice at him in all their years of friendship. At the hurt expression on the other’s face, Soonyoung sighs heavily “I know you’re only looking out for me, and I appreciate it, but I can make my own decisions. Please trust me.”

“Of course, I trust you,” Jihoon utters sheepishly, very conscious of the group which is still gathered around the goblet. In fact, Soonyoung is the only person he completely trusts. Granted, he has a few other friends at Hogwarts who he is fond of and somewhat trusts, but none of them compare to Soonyoung. If Soonyoung told him to walk into the Black Lake and wait to sink to the bottom, he would without hesitation.

So with Jihoon’s assent, Soonyoung reaches above his head and places his name in the goblet, causing a loud cheer to erupt from the waiting crowd. When he steps outside of the age ring, Seungkwan, a fifth year Gryffindor, rushes up and pulls the other into a side hug, radiating excitement for the other.

“You are seriously so cool,” he exclaims, ignoring the scowls from Jihoon. Normally, Jihoon likes Seungkwan. He even helps the other with his studies often, but at this moment, he wants to hex the younger student. “If you are selected, you can be the first muggle-born to win! How cool would that be?!”

“I probably won’t even be selected,” Soonyoung shrugs, but Jihoon can see how much he’s preening at the attention. It makes Jihoon want to roll his eyes. Why does he care so much for the guy?

But, Jihoon has to admit, it would be a huge deal for a muggle-born to win the Triwizard Tournament. Social and political standards concerning non-purebloods have grown slightly better since the Battle of Hogwarts, but this doesn’t mean some witches and wizards no longer believe in the old way of thinking—that non-purebloods were simply inferior and an infestation on wizarding kind.

Speaking of purebloods, Jihoon can see a fair amount of Slytherins sizing Soonyoung up from their table out of the corner of his eye. He turns to them and sneers, causing them to sneer in return but then direct their attention away from Soonyoung. None of the Slytherins will fuck with Jihoon, because they know he’s magically more powerful than most of them. There is nothing Jihoon hates more than pureblood-elitist Slytherins.

Years ago, Jihoon was sorted into Ravenclaw, though Slytherin was an option from the Sorting Hat. Like Harry Potter did some 20 years ago, Jihoon sat on that stool and mentally begged not to be sorted into Slytherin. But he was no Harry Potter. In fact, he was a pureblood like most Slytherins.

In any case, he’s no hero. He’s just someone who wants to escape from his family name.

Soonyoung shakes him out of his stupor by wrapping his arm around Jihoon’s shoulder. When the other smiles brightly at him and his heart flutters, he remembers why he was so happy when the Gryffindor chose his train car all those years ago.

Distantly, he knows the Slytherins will be planning something, but they better watch their back because Soonyoung is the only person he would go to the ends of the world to defend.

“I’ll be safe as long as I have you, Hoonie,” Soonyoung chirps, leading his friend away from the goblet to the tables for the dinner which would be coming soon. “You’re like…the smartest person in our year! Maybe, in our whole school!”

“Shut up,” Jihoon mumbles, feeling the urge to bury his face into his sweater and hide his blush.

All he can do now is wait for the champions to be announced in a month.

 

********

 

About a week later, Jihoon is studying in the library with Junhui and Wonwoo, fellow seventh years, for a Defense Against The Dark Arts quiz coming up on Friday. School has only been in session for two weeks and Professor Longbottom is already going very fast pace with his curriculum. But they should have expected nothing less with N.E.W.Ts coming up next semester. There were so many things to cover before anyone could actually pass.

Just as Junhui is about to call for a study break, a sixth year Gryffindor approaches their table. All three boys look up from their books and gaze at her cautiously. Recently, the trio has been receiving more attention as “Soonyoung’s friends,” since it spread like wildfire he slipped his name into the Goblet of Fire.

He’s the perfect candidate to root for—and for girls to pine after. He’s handsome, captain of the Quidditch team, and a total underdog since he’s muggle-born.

To put it lightly, most of the Hogwarts student population is practically already on their knees for Soonyoung, and Jihoon is tired of it. He knew Soonyoung was an amazing person before the _entire school_ realized it, so why should he have to share him with everyone else?

“May we help you?” Junhui asks politely, honey dripping from his voice. As a Hufflepuff, it wasn’t in his nature to be cold or rude, which irks Jihoon to no end because he wants to tell all these people to fuck off.

“Actually, _he_ can,” she claims, pointing directly at Jihoon. He’s staring at her with a harsh expression on his face, and it’s so frightening she almost doesn’t speak again. “Aren’t you like a genius?”

“I do well in my studies, if that’s what you mean,” Jihoon deadpans coldly, turning back to his textbook, barely acknowledging the girl. Bored, he hisses, “Get to the point.”

“I need someone to make me a love potion,” she answers, voice trembling as she’s clearly intimidated by the boy in front of her. “I’ll pay you.”

“A love potion? For who?” Wonwoo interjects, trying to lighten the tense interaction between the two. He feels bad for the poor girl Jihoon is scaring.

“Kwon Soonyoung,” she states as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, making every nerve in Jihoon’s body set on fire. His two friends are automatically as anxious for Jihoon’s response as she is. When Jihoon’s attention turns from his book to her, and he reveals his eyes, it instantly feels like a mistake approaching the table. If looks could kill, she would’ve been struck down with the lightning of Jihoon’s wrath right in that library.

“I don’t want your money,” he hisses causing her to wince. Jihoon might have felt guilty for reacting this way if she wasn’t trying to take advantage of Soonyoung. “Love potions are manipulative, and those who use them are pathetic. You shouldn’t have to trick someone into falling in love with you. Fuck off.”

With that, she rushes away from the table and out of the library. Anybody could have seen the tears threatening to spill. Some library patrons who were watching the exchange turn their heads to glare at Jihoon.

Once again, he’s the bad guy. To everyone in every situation, he’s always the bad guy. It makes him want to scream.

“You didn’t have to be so harsh, Hoon,” Junhui comments, shaking his head as he gathers his materials to leave the library as well.

“Whatever,” he growls, returning to his studies and still seething. “She doesn’t actually care about Soonyoung. Like everybody in this stupid school, she wants to treat him like a trophy—a prize to be won. I won’t let him be tricked like that.”

“You mean she doesn’t care about him as much as you do,” Wonwoo mentions knowingly, staring very intently at Jihoon. _Curse him! He knows too much!_ Jihoon thinks, grimacing at the other in response. The other Ravenclaw sighs heavily. “I agree it’s shitty to give someone a love potion without their consent. It’s basically forcing them into an unnatural infatuation they didn’t ask for. But, you could’ve found a more polite way to say ‘no.’ You seriously need to work on your people skills, mate, because everybody already has preconceived notions about you.”

Jihoon knows what Wonwoo means by this. Everyone assumes he’s a certain way because he comes from a certain family. He doesn’t need several teenage girls spreading stories about how Lee Jihoon looked as if he wanted to hex them or worse.

Though, Jihoon internally breathes a sigh of relief. Most love potion ingredients were practically unattainable for students. Weasley Wizard Wheezes, a joke shop in Diagon Alley, used to sell their own brand of love potion, but it was banned by the Ministry of Magic because too many underage people were buying them and causing trouble.

When he was 8 years old, he read an article in the Daily Prophet about a muggle-born sixth year buying one of their love potions and slipping it into a muffin basket they sent to a celebrity. Nobody could explain why Taeyang suddenly abandoned his tour to show up on the doorstep of this teenage girl in England. The Ministry of Magic was overwhelmed by the backlash they received for not preventing this, so they had no option but to ban the love potions.

Of course, Jihoon’s household turned it into yet another argument as to why muggle-born shouldn’t be allowed magical privileges.

When Jihoon shakes out of his thoughts, he notices Wonwoo gathering his things as well.

“Are you coming to dinner, Ji? I think they’re serving pot roast tonight,” the other asks, speaking very gently to his friend. Though Jihoon was a jealous pain-in-the-ass sometimes, Wonwoo knows he can’t help himself.

He knows how much Jihoon loves Soonyoung and why. In fact, if anyone else was in Jihoon’s position with his history, they would be totally in love with Soonyoung as well.

In response, Jihoon just meekly nods, seemingly totally different from his menacing self a couple minutes ago. Anyone who’s spent a good deal time around Jihoon knows he’s not as frightening as he seems. They can see it’s all a mask, and they know why.

 

*******

 

Surprisingly, the incident at the library wasn’t the last of its kind. For the next week, girls (and some guys) would constantly corner Jihoon wherever he went, all wanting the same thing: love potions. If only he didn’t get an “Outstanding” on the potions portion of his O.W.Ls, then this wouldn’t be happening to him.

Though, they’d probably find some other poor fool to harass into making love potions for Soonyoung.

That being said, Jihoon is slightly grateful it’s him because his resolve is as solid as stone. No student can break him.

To forget the unending requests, Jihoon is relaxing in the courtyard with his friends, Vernon and Seungkwan. He’s sitting under a tree and writing down some thoughts, while the two dare each other to try some charmed candy from Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Vernon pops one into his mouth which smells like troll’s breath and immediately pulls a disgusted grimace. In response, Seungkwan just laughs wildly, looking as if he may pee his pants.

As Jihoon giggles at his friends' antics, a girl in a Hufflepuff sweater begins to approach them. She looks as if she can’t be more than a second year.

 _God, now 12-year-olds want to date Soonyoung,_ Jihoon thinks, mentally preparing to deny this girl as gently as possible.

When she steps into their little corner of the courtyard, Vernon sprouts a third-eye on his forehead, causing Seungkwan to shriek with laughter even louder.

“I can’t breathe!” he wheezes loudly, completely red in the face.

The girl looks at the two fifth years cautiously, obviously slightly intimidated. Though, Jihoon can’t blame her. They’re both deranged looking older boys. In fact, Seungkwan is now hunched over on the ground, pounding his fist to accompany his laughter, while Vernon is trying to save face and hide his third-eye with his bangs. Though, there was ultimately no point.

It was _very_ large and _very_ green like a troll’s eye. Jihoon only wishes Soonyoung were here to see it.

“Is there anything we can do for you?” Jihoon asks as nicely as possible, not wanting to be cruel to someone who is basically a child. If she asks for a love potion, he’ll just kindly explain to her why those were wrong and send her on her way. She can’t help having a crush on Soonyoung.

“Actually, you can,” she chirps simply, seemingly not intimidated by Jihoon at all. “I hear you are very good at charms, and I was wondering if you could tutor me. I’m muggle-born, so everything is still very new to me.”

Bewildered, Jihoon just stares blankly. He didn’t expect _that_. A very compassionate expression crosses his face as he smiles at the younger student.

“I would love to help y—” Jihoon begins but is rudely interrupted by an approaching seventh year Gryffindor. He’s a chaser on Soonyoung’s Quidditch team, and Jihoon absolutely despises him. For no reason other than assumptions, he’s a complete jerk.

“I wouldn’t trust him, kid,” the student warns, sneering at a frowning Jihoon.

“Why not?” the girl asks naively. She must have been a part of the 1% of the school who didn’t know _why_ Hogwarts students don’t trust Jihoon.

“ _Oh!_ You don’t know?!” the Gryffindor exclaims in mock shock as if everyone should make it their mission to ostracize and alienate Jihoon. Then, the words which _always_ make Jihoon’s heart twist in pain come out as a hiss. “His parents are bloody _death eaters._ ”

Apparently, she knows what that means because her face instantly pales. She carefully looks at Jihoon, as if he tore out someone’s heart and took a fucking bite of it in front of her. Five seconds ago, she regarded him as a respectable upperclassman, now she treats him as if he’s some sadistic monster. The shift in disposition causes Jihoon’s heart to break slightly, but he bears a cold and closed off face. He won’t show weakness in front of these people.

“He probably wants to snap your wand in half then sacrifice you to bring back You-Know-Who,” the Gryffindor growls smugly, clearly satisfied he’s gotten yet another person to fear and loathe Jihoon. These accusations instantly infuriate the other.

“You can’t even say his name? Voldemort’s dead. He’s always going to be dead. And even if he was alive, I would still want nothing to do with dark magic. Stop telling lies about me!” Jihoon snaps back, now gripping his wand in his right hand. At this point, Seungkwan and Vernon have stepped in between the two to keep any physical conflict from occurring.

“Your parents killed my mom!” the other yells right back. Everyone in the courtyard was staring at them by now. “Your parents and their fellow death eaters have brought misery upon several families of the students at this school. You’re an indoctrinated twat, even though you pretend you’re not.”

“What is my crime? Should I be locked up in Azkaban just because I was born?” Jihoon shouts, finally pointing his wand in anger at the other student who points his in return.

Just before it could get too messy, a familiar face starts rushing through the crowd towards the pair. Firmly, Soonyoung steps between the two and sternly grimaces at both of them. Jihoon is kinda surprised he got in between them before a professor did.

“What’s the problem here?” Soonyoung interrogates in his “captain” voice. For a second, the Gryffindor looks as if he might back down at his captain’s interference. It couldn’t mean anything good for him later to continue this fight.

But, he remembers his mother and a fire is ignited again.

“He’s a _bloody death eater_ ,” he accuses for the whole courtyard to hear. “But you’re gonna take his side, aren’t you? You always take his side. When will you learn he doesn’t care about people like _you?”_

“Jihoon is _not_ a death eater,” Soonyoung states firmly and coldly. “My parents are muggles, but do I look like a muggle to you? Stop harassing Jihoon over something he can’t control. I’m making the entire team do 100 laps around the pitch on Monday for this behavior.”

With that, the Gryffindor grumbles in annoyance but backs away, cutting through the crowd. As the crowd disperses, Jihoon lets out a breath he’s been holding on to.

“Thank you, Soonyou-”

“What were you thinking?! Taking out your wand like that?! You could’ve gotten into some serious trouble, Jihoon-ah,” the other scolds, arms crossed over his chest. In shame, Jihoon slightly cowers, which causes Seungkwan and Vernon to stare in astonishment. They think Soonyoung is the only person who can make Jihoon ashamed of his actions.

“I lost my temper. I’m sorry,” Jihoon apologizes with his voice cracking slightly. The impact of the last few moments suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. Soonyoung notices this as well.

“Follow me,” he instructs softly, grabbing his friend’s hand and leading him away from the courtyard. He guides them into an abandoned corridor of the building where they could both speak privately. They sit down on a stone bench.

Jihoon can feel sobs trying to break free from his chest, but he doesn’t want to cry in front of Soonyoung right now. It’s not like he hasn’t before, but he always feels so helpless and pathetic when he cries—especially in front of Soonyoung.

“I know you want to let it out, Ji,” Soonyoung consoles, rubbing comforting circles into Jihoon’s hunched back.

“I’m _n-not_ a f-fucking death eater,” he finally sobs, feeling like one big mess. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, so why must I receive this kind of treatment?”

“Because people can’t look past their losses to see you’re a person too,” Soonyoung answers, pulling his crying friend into his arms. “But _I_ know you have a good heart. I wish others could see that as well.”

It’s always been like this for them: Something shitty would happen to Jihoon because of his parentage. Soonyoung would come and save the day. Jihoon would silently hurt as Soonyoung comforted him.

It’s why he can’t lose the other to the perils of the Triwizard Tournament.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whispers* find me on twitter (@gothsoonhoon) if you wanna see fic ideas, posts when i update, and soonhoon content lol.
> 
> p.s. expect this fic to be dramatic and intense as fuck.


	2. Walk Into The Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there are some minor ocs (the other triwizard champions) because im dedicated to this being set after the battle of hogwarts
> 
> as always, thank you guys for reading. make sure to tell your local lauren that you love her, because she does all this shit for me.

In Jihoon’s opinion, the shore of the Black Lake is the most peaceful spot on school grounds. Often, he comes to sit under a tree, fiddle with the rocks washed up on the bank, and think. Right now, there’s barely a breeze, so he just sits and watches the still dark waters. The lake almost looks like a black hole he could fall into. 

He kind of wishes he would. 

The only movement is from the Durmstrang ship (which is anchored along the rocky shore), where students are exiting and heading towards the castle. 

Tonight the Triwizard Tournament champions are to be announced. 

The thought of Soonyoung’s name coming from the Goblet of Fire frightens and pains Jihoon’s heart to no end. To ease the anxiety, he wishes the lake would swallow his heart whole. 

It would be easier than losing Soonyoung. 

“Dinner’s about to start,” a familiar voice calls from behind. Jihoon should’ve known the other was going to be seeking him out. “Are you not coming to the Great Hall?”

“How did you know I’d be here?” Jihoon asks in a solemn yet hoarse voice. Perhaps, some tears of stress slipped from him earlier. 

A beat of silence. Neither of them wants to mention the collective center of their anxieties—the tournament. 

“I just  _ knew, _ ” Soonyoung claims, sounding quite exhausted himself. He sighs heavily. “Look… I know you’re scared, but fucking hell! I’m scared too! And I  _ need _ you by my side. You can’t distance yourself from the situation now of all times, Ji.”

Soonyoung’s voice trembles slightly, and Jihoon feels a bit selfish to only have thought of what he stood to lose. 

If Soonyoung is chosen and comes into harm, they will have both lost. 

Right now is not the time for Jihoon to be overly emotional. Soonyoung needs him, just as much as he needs Soonyoung. 

So, he silently holds out a hand, signaling for Soonyoung to help him off the ground, which the other does without hesitation. As they walk towards the looming castle, Soonyoung helps pat sand off of Jihoon’s lower back and butt. 

“That’s really not necessary, Soonyoung,” Jihoon laughs slightly, feeling a little better to be by Soonyoung’s side. 

“I just don’t want you to embarrass yourself,” Soonyoung teases right back. It almost feels normal. 

Jihoon is going to miss normalcy. 

Whatever happens tonight, the feeling may never return again. 

 

******

 

By the time they reach the Great Hall, Headmistress McGonagall is already addressing the crowd of students and guests for what they’ve all been waiting the past month for. 

“Good evening to all schools.” Soonyoung and Jihoon hear in her serious voice from the other side of the Great Hall doors. The corridor leading into the Great Hall was quite dimly lit compared to the bright space on the other side of the great stone doors. 

Both were too scared to enter through those doors yet. 

“Whatever happens, Ji,” Soonyoung begins, gripping his friend’s shoulder very tightly. “I will survive for you.”

Jihoon is about to say a smart-ass comment in return but is interrupted by the other. 

“BUT,” Soonyoung interjects, grabbing Jihoon’s hand in his. It wasn’t strange for either of them. They were  _ that _ close. “I  _ need _ you to stay by my side. I can’t survive this tournament without you.”

It’s silent for a moment, except for McGonagall’s speech through the doors. In affirmation, Jihoon nods his head. Soonyoung squeezes his hand tightly once more then lets go. If chosen, Jihoon will do whatever possible to help Soonyoung win. 

With that, they enter the Great Hall together, getting some unwanted attention as late-arrivals. Everyone has finished dinner by now and was awaiting the entertainment—champion announcements. 

Much to Jihoon’s displeasure, they separate as Soonyoung walks towards Gryffindor’s table, and he takes his own path to Ravenclaw’s. He finds Vernon and Wonwoo saved him a spot in case he decided to come. 

“Where have you bloody been?” Wonwoo hisses, glaring at his friend, but he knows the answer. 

“Thinking,” Jihoon deadpans, not giving any further explanation. With that, the group of friends devotes their full attention to Professor McGonagall and her introduction.

Through McGonagall’s speech, Jihoon can’t stop staring at the blue flames blazing from the Goblet. They’ve captured him. Those flames would be more than delighted to burn Jihoon’s life to cinders and take everything he loves. 

So…he decides he’s going to fight back. 

God. He’s going to fight tooth and nail for Soonyoung. 

“Now without further ado,” McGonagall announces, gesturing her arms to the Goblet. “The selection of our Triwizard Champions.”

She steps away from the golden podium and flicks her wand, causing but a few candles and lanterns to go out. 

“Mood lighting,” Vernon murmurs to his friends, playing with a fork on the table. Jihoon sees the troll’s eye disappeared without much trace. 

If Jihoon couldn’t focus on anything but the Goblet before, he sure couldn’t now. In the semi-darkness, it shines brightly, enrapturing its victims like a moth to a flame. Jihoon can’t ignore the feeling the Goblet has an overwhelming desire to  _ consume  _ him. 

So, he just waits as the flames turn even brighter—almost white.

With anxiety, he watches as McGonagall steps past her own age line and patiently awaits the Goblet’s decision. 

The entire hall does the same. 

Suddenly, the flames turn from a blinding white to a passionate red, surely more dangerous than any of the magic in the Great Hall. Sparks begin to fly from the Goblet, and Jihoon has subconsciously begun wringing Wonwoo’s robes in the seat next to him. He worries his lower lip in between his teeth.

Then…a great lick of fire bursts from the Goblet, causing several students to gasp and coo in awe. From that lick of fire, a slightly charred slip of paper flutters down to earth, damning someone into an unbreakable magical contract. 

As the paper lands into McGonagall’s waiting hand, the flames return to their usual blue hue, still flickering violently. 

“The champion for Durmstrang,” she reads in a loud voice, “will be Vladimir Krum!”

A loud cheer from the Bulgarians erupts from the back of the hall, then a student with the same solidity of a stone house stands up. Vladimir soaks in the attention, almost victorious in his demeanor, but Jihoon just thinks he’s a fool for entering at all. 

But so is Soonyoung….

“Is that Victor Krum’s son?” Wonwoo mumbles, watching the Bulgarian with interest. 

“I think it is,” Vernon answers, staring as well. 

From his disposition, he seems as if he might be fierce competition. 

Jihoon is getting a headache thinking of how much of a pain-in-the-ass Vladimir may be to beat. Since Jihoon can only work in the shadows to help Soonyoung, he can do nothing against the Bulgarian’s brute strength. 

Upon McGonagall’s instruction, Vladimir disappears into a waiting chamber on the right side of the Great Hall. 

The hall grows silent yet again. 

All attention is directed towards the Goblet as it goes through the same change in color, emits the same sparks, and bursts until another slip is thrust forward into McGonagall’s hand. 

“The champion for Beauxbatons,” she reads, “is Bella Dumont!”

From the end of the Ravenclaw table, a petite blond girl stands and receives the attention of her peers gracefully. Then, she sweeps along the length of the Great Hall to the same chamber the Durmstrang champion entered through. 

Jihoon is unsure what kind of competition she’ll be since she acts in such a pomp and proper manner, but he won’t underestimate her either. 

Not everybody is as they seem. 

All Hogwarts students fall deathly quiet as they wait for their champion to be selected. Their school pride is on the line. 

Next to Jihoon, Wonwoo places a reassuring hand over his. By the way he grimaces, Jihoon can see he’s just as nervous.

“Everything will be fine, Jihoon,” he says with certainty, but Jihoon knows better. 

None of this was certain. 

However, he takes his friend’s gesture of goodwill anyway and smiles in return. 

Like a phoenix, the flames burn red and burst again. It seems more intense this time than the last two. 

Or maybe it is Jihoon’s imagination. 

From the Goblet, the last singed slip of paper is spit. With bated breath, Jihoon can only watch as it flits like a bird into Professor McGonagall’s hand. 

As she takes a breath and reads the slip, Jihoon’s heart is pounding in his chest. He can hear the blood pulsing in his ears and feel the sweat in his palms. She hasn’t even announced the champion, yet he can’t decide whether he wants to cry or vomit first. 

“The champion for Hogwarts,” she reads clearly and proudly, as it was _her_ _school champion_ , “is Kwon Soonyoung.”

Nervously, Vernon glances at Jihoon, worried what his reaction might be. 

But there was none. 

Shock has completely taken over Jihoon’s body, binding him to his seat. Knowing Soonyoung  _ could be _ a Triwizard champion was indeed quite different from the reality of him being one. 

This situation is real, and there’s no turning back. The Goblet’s decision is a magically binding contract. 

Soonyoung either participates or faces the consequences. 

Suddenly, Soonyoung stands up at the Gryffindor table. He shows no fear as most Hogwarts students (except a handful of Slytherins) cheer for him and fellow Gryffindors jostle him around in celebration. But Jihoon knows better. 

He knows Soonyoung is scared enough to piss himself. 

Who wouldn’t be? People have died in the Triwizard Tournament! 

Jihoon still can’t understand why the other felt the need to enter at all. 

Even through all the excitement from other Hogwarts students, Soonyoung locks eyes with Jihoon from across the Great Hall. There’s some sort of promise in his gaze, but Jihoon has no clue what it means. 

So, Jihoon scowls at him for putting himself at risk like this. In return, he just smiles back and mouths,  _ Don’t worry. _

Then, he turns from Jihoon’s stare and replaces his smile with a confident and determined face. As he walks down the hall towards the waiting chamber, Seungkwan yells after him, “God, you are so cool!”

And so the Triwizard Tournament begins. 

 

********

 

After a sleepless night worrying over every single possibility, Jihoon finally finds Soonyoung in a corridor in between classes. He’s seated on a stone bench below one of the stone arch windows. Underneath the afternoon sunlight, Jihoon has reason to believe Soonyoung may actually be ethereal. 

Like of course he was  _ magical _ , but something about him goes beyond the realm of magic. Or, at least Jihoon thinks so by the way his heart beats wildly every time he’s near Soonyoung. 

When Jihoon approaches, Soonyoung pretends to be sleeping. It would almost be cute if Jihoon wasn’t actually going crazy over the Triwizard Tournament. 

“Tell me everything, Kwon Soonyoung,” he demands with his hands on his hips like a concerned mother. 

“Can’t,” Soonyoung mumbles groggily and smacks his lips. “‘m sleeping.”

“I’ll tell Wonwoo you were the one who made his cat bald,” Jihoon asserts, grinning smugly when Soonyoung instantly pops his head up and straightens his body out.

“Look at that! I’m awake!” he exclaims with a tinge of a nervous laugh. Jihoon takes a seat next to his friend. 

“Spill the details, Soonyoung,” Jihoon requests once again, poking Soonyoung in the stomach as if they were talking about the latest hot gossip rather than a death-defying competition. 

“About?” the other teases right back. 

“You know what!”

“They inspected our wands and told us the first challenge is taking place next month,” Soonyoung sighs, obviously burdened by the thought alone. 

“What is the first challenge?” Jihoon interrogates, already planning how he can meddle to help Soonyoung win. 

“They wouldn’t tell us…” Soonyoung trails off. “It’s supposed to ‘test our daring in the face of the unknown.’ I really have no clue what’s gonna happen.”

There’s silence between them as students begin to shuffle to their next class. 

“Are you okay?” Jihoon asks, already knowing the answer. 

“I will be,” Soonyoung reassures with a small smile. He’ll never admit his fear in front of Jihoon now he was actually a participant in the tournament. Then, he gets up from his spot and slings his book bag over his shoulder. “Let me walk with you to your next class.”

So, they walk together in silence, both still stewing in the news.

 

*********

 

The requests for love potions don’t stop, and Soonyoung’s popularity grows twice as large. In fact, Soonyoung has his own fan club, members of which made animated buttons with his face on it. It has three modes: cute face scrunch, finger guns, and Jihoon’s personal favorite, finger hearts. But when button Soonyoung isn’t acting cute, he’s standing proudly with his nose in the air. 

The pin has more honor and valor than Soonyoung will ever have. The Soonyoung Jihoon knows is one who will laugh at their own joke even if it wasn’t funny. 

Usually, girls with these pins would approach Jihoon in the library—though he’s made it clear he wasn’t going to help them. So, he’s been hiding in between a row of shelves closer to the restricted section. The books in this area are not typically helpful to any of Hogwarts’ curriculum. Normally, no student will set foot in this part of the library, except a few Slytherins (quite a few of these books happen to concern the Dark Arts).

Jihoon is looking for a biography of Harry Potter, one of the participants of the last Triwizard Tournament. The issue is that there is no  _ one _ biography. There are several, and all of them chronical different points in Potter’s life. He needs at least one with a section on the Triwizard Tournament, so he at least has a clue of what Soonyoung is up against. 

Just as he is searching, a body appears at the end of the row. He recognizes it instantly. 

“What do you have for me?” Jihoon asks, not turning away from the shelves as the body approaches. 

“Do you know there’s a clearing past the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake?” Minghao answers with a question, leaning casually against a shelf. 

Last year, Jihoon tutored the Slytherin in potions and is quite fond of him. Because, of course, Minghao is quiet, respectable, clever—all the qualities Slytherins value as well. So for the past year, Jihoon has convinced the other to be somewhat of an informant for him—a spy to tell him what the Slytherins were up to. 

“What do you mean?” Jihoon asks, confused. Sometimes, Minghao likes to speak cryptically so as to not betray information outright. 

“Some students with richer families already know what the first challenge is going to be,” Minghao hints, obviously meaning some fellow pureblood Slytherins. 

“So, why can’t you tell me what it is?” Jihoon hisses, finally relieved to have a lead on the first challenge. 

“I think it would be more… _ impactful _ if you saw it for yourself,” Minghao hums, still refusing to give away the secret completely “Just sneak out from the castle tonight and walk along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. You’ll know what I mean when you see it. Don’t get caught.”

And with that, Minghao leaves Jihoon anxious yet vigorous. 

 

*******

 

The following afternoon, Jihoon borrows an imitation invisibility cloak from Mingyu, a Hufflepuff friend. The imitations were usually never nearly as good as the real thing, but it would suffice for Jihoon’s mission to sneak out of the castle. He’s never broken a rule his entire time at Hogwarts, but now seems the appropriate time to start.

Just before the staff closes the castle entrances for the night, Jihoon slips out while hidden underneath his cloak. He wanders past the Gamekeeper’s hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The night air is cool, crisp, and eerily peaceful, almost making Jihoon wish he could take walks like this every night. 

He walks in darkness for about 15 minutes, until there’s suddenly a very bright light in the distance past the trees. It has the same hue and intensity as flames. There’s also a loud noise, like one of a beast. 

Jihoon can feel his heart beating violently in his chest as he approaches the light. He can’t turn away now. He’s been captured. 

Finally, the trees are behind him, and he’s standing on the edge of what seems like a valley. The noise is clearly a piercing and earth-shaking roar, causing Jihoon’s entire body to shake violently. 

He doesn’t want to look down. 

But he has to…for Soonyoung. 

When he peers down into the valley, he sees unending bursts of violent flames. Down there, at least 30 men are holding out their wands, shouting, and attempting to bind the three raging creatures.

But even with a large number of wizards, the magic does little against the beasts.

One of them roars again, and Jihoon claps his hands over his ears to block it out. It’s a sound which could make anyone cry. 

Soonyoung’s first challenge… 

_ Dragons. _

 


End file.
